Derrotero (May 2018)
Evaluation of a ballast water change zone in the Magdalena Caribbean Colombian in accordance with guideline D14 of the International Maritime Organization
Abstract
Maritime traffic is an important factor in the economy of countries and has increased in recent years, causing potentially devastating effects due to the aquatic organisms transported in ballast water from ships that can establish and become invasive organisms. Therefore, it is important to assign ballast water exchange zones in accordance with the rule B-4 of the International Agreement for the Control and Management of Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM), to reduce the risk of marine bioinvasion. This proposal was done in accordance with the Guidelines D14 of the Maritime International Organization (OMI), and suggest orientations for Port State Control (PSC) to identify, evaluate, and design maritime zones where the ships can exchange ballast water as a mechanism of management of ballast water when it is not possible to comply with B-4.1 of the BWM Agreement. The designated zone is a proposal for the Magdalena department, Colombian Caribbean, because this area accomplishes with the oceanographic, physicochemical, biological, environmental, important resources and ballast water operations criteria, considered in the Guidelines D14. Additionally, this area has narrow continental shelves reaching 200 meters deep, that guarantee ideal conditions for ballast water management and easy access in emergency situations compared with other departments of the Caribbean. The results showed that it is possible to designate an area located at less than 50 nautical miles with a depth of more than 200 meters without affecting coastal marine resources.
